This application claims priority to German Patent Application 198 03 889.5 filed Jan. 31, 1998 which is incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
An electroluminescent (EL) arrangement is characterized in that, with application of an electric voltage, it emits light with a flow of current. Such arrangement has long been known in industry by the name xe2x80x9clight emitting diodesxe2x80x9d (LEDs). The emission of light occurs as result of positive charges (holes) and negative charges (electrons) recombining with emission of light.
In the development of light-emitting components for electronics or photonics, mainly inorganic semiconductors, such as gallium arsenide, are used today. Point-like display elements can be produced on the basis of such substances. Extensive arrangements are not possible.
In addition to the semiconductor light emitting diodes, electroluminescent arrangements based on low molecular weight organic compounds applied by vapour deposition are known (U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,507, U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,262, U.S. Pat. No. 5,077,142, EP-A 406,762, EP-A 278,758, EP-A 278,757).
Furthermore, polymers such as poly-(p-phenylene) and poly-(p-phenylenevinylene) (PPV) are described as electroluminescent polymers: G. Leising et al., Adv. Mater. 4 (1992) No. 1; Friend et al., J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun. 32 (1992); Saito et al., Polymer, 1990, Vol. 31, 1137; Friend et al., Physical Review B, Vol. 42, No. 18, 11670 or WO 90/13148. Further examples of PPV in electroluminescent displays are described in EP-A 443 861, WO-A-9203490 and 92003491.
EP-A 0 294 061 presents an optical modulator based on polyacetylene.
For the production of flexible polymer LEDs, Heeger et al., have proposed soluble conjugated PPV derivatives (WO 92/16023).
Polymer blends of different compositions are likewise known: M. Stolka et al., Pure and Appl. Chem., Vol. 67, No. 1, pp 175-182, 1995; H. Bxc3xa4ssler et al., Adv. Mater. 1995, 7, No. 6, 551; K. Nagai et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 67 (16), 1995, 2281; EP-A 532 798.
The organic EL arrangements contain, as a rule, one or more layers of organic charge-transporting compounds. The basic structure in the sequence of the layers is as follows:
1 Carrier, substrate
2 Base electrode
3 Hole-injecting layer
4 Hole-transporting layer
5 Light-emitting layer
6 Electron-transporting layer
7 Electron-injecting layer
8 Top electrode
9 Contacts
10 Envelope, encapsulation.
The layers 3 to 7 constitute the electroluminescent element.
This structure represents the most general case and can be simplified by omitting individual layers so that one layer performs several functions. In the simplest case, an EL arrangement consists of two electrodes between which is located an organic layer which performs all functions xe2x80x94including the function of light emission. Such systems are described, for example, in the application WO 90/13148, on the basis of poly-(p-phenylenevinylene).
Tang et al. state that the efficiency of electroluminescent arrangements can be improved by using an emitter layer which consists of organic matrix material with which a small amount of a dopant has been mixed (U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,292). Preferred material is aluminium 8-hydroxyquinoline (Alq3). The dopants can be chosen from a number of different classes of intensely fluorescent substances. Preferred examples of these are coumarins and rhodamines.
Murayama et al. describe insoluble quinacridone pigments as dopants (U.S. Pat. No. 5,227,252) which is incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. Further, substituted but insoluble quinacridone pigments are described, all of which are applied by vapour deposition methods, together with the electroluminescent component (generally Alq3) (covaporization) (EP 0 766 498 A2 and Tang, Information Display 10/96, C. W. Tang, Information Display 10/96, 16 (1996), T. Wakimoto, S. Kawami, K. Nagayania, Y. Yonemoto, R. Murayama, J. Funaki, H. Sato, H. Nakada, K. Imai, International Symposium of Inorganic and Organic Electroluminescence 1994, Hamamatsu, Japan 1994, Conference Volume S. 77, J/.Shi, C. W. Tang, Appl. Phys. Lett. 70 (13), 1665 (1997), U.S. Pat. No. 005,616,427 A). It was found that EL arrangements having a dopant in the organic emitter layer also had improved long-term behaviour during operation in addition to an increased efficiency.
Multilayer systems can be built up by vapour deposition methods, in which the layers are applied successively from the gas phase, or by casting methods. Owing to the higher process speeds, casting methods are preferred. However, the surface dissolution process of an already applied layer during overcoating with the next layer may present a difficulty in certain cases.
The object of the present invention is the provision of electroluminescent arrangements having high luminous density and improved stability, it being possible to use a casting method to apply the doped mixture to be applied.
For this purpose, it was necessary to synthesize specially substituted quinacridone derivatives which have sufficient solubility for the casting process in the solvents used. Cast, doped systems are said to have improved long-term behaviour compared with undoped systems.
It was found that electroluminescent arrangements which contain the blend system stated below meet these requirements. Below, the term zone is also equivalent to layer.
The present invention therefore relates to electroluminescent arrangements containing a substrate, an anode, an electroluminescent element and a cathode, at least one of the two electrodes being transparent in the visible spectral range and it being possible for the electroluminescent element to contain in sequence:
A hole-injecting zone, hole--transporting zone, electroluminescent zone, electron-transporting zone and/or an electron-injecting zone, characterized in that the hole-injecting and/or hole-transporting zone is an optionally substituted tris-1,3,5-(aminophenyl)benzene compound A or a mixture thereof and the electroluminescent element optionally contains a further functionalized compound from the group consisting of the hole-transporting materials, a luminescent material B and optionally electron-transporting materials, it being possible for the hole-injecting and hole-transporting zone to contain one or more further hole-transporting compounds in addition to the component A, at least one zone being present, it being possible to omit individual zones and it being possible for the zone(s) present to perform several functions, the electroluminescent element containing a substituted quinacridone compound C as a dopant in at least one zone.
A zone may perform several functions, that is to say that a zone may contain, for example, hole-injecting, hole-transporting, electroluminescent, electron-injecting and/or electron-transporting substances and dopant.
The electroluminescent element may furthermore contain one or more transparent polymeric binders D.
The optionally substituted tris-1,3,5-(aminophenyl)benzene compound A represents an aromatic tertiary amino compound of the general formula (I) 
in which
R2 represents hydrogen, optionally substituted alkyl or halogen, wherein the substituent is alkoxy, aryl, OH or halogen,
R3 and R4, independently of one another, represent hydrogen, optionally substituted C1-C10-alkyl, alkoxycarbonyl-substituted C1-C10-alkyl, or aryl, aralkyl or cycloalkyl, each of which is optionally substituted with a hydrocarbon, halogen heteroatom, hydroxy or alkoxy.
R3 and R4, independently of one another, preferably represent C1-C6-alkyl, in particular methyl, ethyl, n- or iso-propyl, n-, iso-, sec- or tert-butyl, C1-C4-alkoxycarbonyl-C1-C6-alkyl, such as, for example, methoxy-, ethoxy-, propoxy- or butoxycarbonyl-C1-C4-alkyl, or phenyl-C1-C4-alkyl, naphthyl-C1-C4-alkyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, phenyl or naphthyl, each of which is optionally substituted by C1-C4-alkyl and/or C1-C4-alkoxy.
R3 and R4, independently of one another, particularly preferably represent unsubstituted phenyl or naphthyl or phenyl or naphthyl, each of which is monosubstituted to trisubstituted by methyl, ethyl, n- or iso-propyl, methoxy, ethoxy, n- and/or iso-propoxy.
R2 preferably represents hydrogen, C1-C6-alkyl, such as, for example, methyl, ethyl, n- or iso-propyl, n-, iso-, sec- or tert-butyl, or chlorine.
Such compounds and their preparation are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,774 for use in electrophotography, which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference as part of the description. The tris-nitrophenyl compound can be converted into the tris-aminophenyl compound, for example by generally known catalytic hydrogenation, for example in the presence of Raney Nickel (Houben-Weyl 4/1C, 14-102, Ullmann (4), 13, 135-148). The amino compound is reacted in a generally known manner with substituted halogenobenzenes.
The following compounds may be mentioned by way of example, it being possible for the substitution on the phenyl ring to take place ortho, meta and/or para to the amine nitrogen: 
In addition to the component A, further hole conductors, for example in the form of a mixture with the component A, may optionally be used for producing the electroluminescent elements. These may be, on the one hand, one or more compounds of the formula (I), mixtures of isomers also being included, and, on the other hand, also mixtures of hole-transporting compounds with compounds of Axe2x80x94of the general formula (I)xe2x80x94having different structures.
A list of possible hole-injecting and hole-conducting materials is given in EP-A 532 798 which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No.5,281,489 which is incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
In the case of mixtures of the component A), the compound can be used in any desired ratio between 0 and 100% by weight (based on the mixture A)). In a preferred embodiment, 1 to 99% by weight and 99 to 1% by weight, particularly preferably about 5 to about 95% by weight and about 95 to about 5% by weight, are used. In a further preferred embodiment, about 30 to about 70% by weight and about 70 to about 30% by weight are used.
The following may be mentioned by way of example:
Anthracene compounds, e.g. 2,6,9,10-tetraisopropoxyanthracene; oxadiazole compounds, e.g. 2,5-bis(4-diethylaminophenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole, triphenylamine compounds, e.g. N,Nxe2x80x2-diphenyl-N,Nxe2x80x2-di(3-methylphenyl)-1,1xe2x80x2-biphenyl-4,4xe2x80x2-diamine; aromatic tertiary amines, e.g. N-phenylcarbazole, N-isopropyl-carbazole and compounds which can be used in hole-transporting layers, as described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 62-264 692; furthermore pyrazoline compounds, e.g. 1-phenyl-3-(p-diethylaminostyryl)-5-(p-diethylaminophenyl)-2-pyrazoline; styryl compounds, e.g. 9-(p-diethylaminostyryl)-anthracene; hydrazone compounds, e.g. bis-(4-dimethylamino-2-methylphenyl)-phenyl-methane; stilbene compounds, e.g. -(4-methoxyphenyl)-4-N,N-diphcnylamino-(4xe2x80x2-methoxy)stilbene, enamine compounds, e.g. 1,1-(4,4xe2x80x2-diethoxyphenyl)-N,N-(4,4xe2x80x2-dimethoxyphenyl)enamine; metal- or nonmetal-phthalocyanines and porphyrin compounds.
Triphenylamine compounds and/or aromatic tertiary amines are preferred, the compounds mentioned by way of example being particularly preferred.
Materials which have hole-conducting properties and can be used for mixing with component A are, for example 
These and further examples are described in J. Phys. Chem. 1993, 97, 6240-6248 and Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol. 66, No. 20, 2679-2681.
The component B) represents a compound of the general formula (II) 
in which
Me represents a metal,
m is a number from 1 to 3 and
Z independently in the two forms, represents atoms which complete a nucleus which consists at least of 2 fused rings.
In general, monovalent, divalent or trivalent metals which are known to form chelates may be used.
The metal may be a monovalent, divalent or trivalent metal, preferably of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd main group and 2nd subgroup of the Periodic Table, for example lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, boron, aluminium, indium, gallium, zinc and beryllium.
Z completes the heterocyclic molecular moiety which consists at least of two fused rings, one of which is an azole or azine ring, it being possible for further additional aliphatic or aromatic ring to be bonded to the two fused rings.
Suitable examples for the component B) are the oxine complexes (8-hydroxyquinoline complexes) of Al3+, Mg2+, In3+, Ga3+, Zn2+, Be2+, Li+, Ca2+, Na+ or aluminiumtris(5-methyloxine) and galliumtris(5-chloro-quinoline). Complexes with rare earth metals may also be used.
Examples of component B are 
Inq3, Gaq3, Znq2, Beq2, Mgq2,
or Al(qa)3, Ga(qa)3, In(qa)3, Zn(qa)2, Be(qa)2, Mg(qa)2 in which (qa) represents 
One or more compounds of the component B) may be used.
The compounds or oxine complexes according to B) are generally known or can be prepared by known processes (cf. for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,292) which is incorporated by references in its entirety for all purposes.
The substituted quinacridone compounds C) have the following general formulae (IIIa) and (IIIb) 
in which
R11, R12, R13 and R14, independently of one another, represent hydrogen, halogen and optionally halogen-substituted C1-C15-alkyl, C1-C16-alkoxy, C1-C20-alkylthio, cycloalkyl, optionally substituted aryl or arylalkyl, at least 2 radicals per outer phenyl ring not simultaneously representing hydrogen and it being possible additionally for alkylation to be present at both nitrogen atoms, wherein the substituents are alkoxy, halogen or alkyl,
R15 represents hydrogen or optionally substituted C1-C18-alkyl or optionally substituted cycloalkyl,
R11, R12, R13 and R14, independently of one another, preferably represent C1-C6-alkyl, in particular methyl, tert-butyl, C1-C12-alkoxy, in particular methoxy, dodecyloxy, and C4-C10-alkylthio, in particular octylthio, halogeno-C1-C4-alkyl, in particular trifluoromethyl,
R15 preferably represents hydrogen, C1-C8-alkyl, in particular methyl, octyl, tert-butyl or cyclohexyl.
Halogen preferably represents fluorine, chlorine, bromine.
The following may be mentioned as examples of such compounds: 
The substituted quinacridone compound C) may also have the following general formulae (IIIb) (stereoisomers): 
in which
Z, independently in the two rings, represents atoms which complete a ring, preferably an aliphatic ring having 3 to 12 carbon atoms which may be interrupted by one or more, hetero atoms, such as but not limited to, O, S, P or N in particular 2 to 5, oxygen atoms,
R1 represents hydrogen, C1-C16-alkyl, preferably C1-C10-alkyl, in particular methyl, octyl, tert-butyl, or cyclohexyl.
The following may be mentioned as examples of such compounds: 
Component C may also be mixtures of possible stereoisomers of the general forms (IIIa) and (IIIb).
The quinacridone derivatives of the formula (III) are known or can be prepared by known methods, cf., for example, the following reaction scheme: 
R and Rxe2x80x2 represent one or more radicals R11, R12, R13, R14 and have the abovementioned meaning.
The starting materials are known or commercially available or can be prepared by generally known methods of organic chemistry.
The binder D) represents polymers and/or copolymers, such as, for example, poly-carbonates, polyester carbonates, copolymers of styrene, such as styrene-acrylonitrile (xe2x80x9cSANxe2x80x9d) or styrene acrylates, polysulphones, polymers based on monomers containing vinyl groups, such as, for example, poly(meth)acrylates, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinylcarbazole, vinyl acetate and vinyl alcohol polymers and copolymers, polyolefins, cyclic olefin copolymers, phenoxy resins, etc. Mixtures of different polymers may also be used. The polymeric binders C) have molecular weights of 10,000 to 200,000 g/mol, are soluble and film-forming and are transparent in the visible spectral range. They are described, for example, in Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Engineering, 2nd Ed., A. Wiley Interscience publication. They are usually used in an amount up to about 95, preferably up to about 80, % by weight, based on the total weight of A) and B).
The electroluminescent arrangements according to the invention are characterized in that they have a light-emitting layer which contains a mixture of the components A), B) and C) in, optionally, a transparent binder D). The weight ratio of A), B) and C) to one another can be varied.
The sum of the amounts by weight of A) and B) in polymeric binder is in the range from about 0.2 to about 98% by weight, preferably from about 2 to about 95% by weight, particularly preferably from about 10 to about 90% by weight, very particularly preferably from about 10 to about 85% by weight.
The weight ratio A:B of the components A and B is between about 0.05 and about 20, preferably about 0.2 and about 10 and particularly preferably between about 0.3 and about 8, in particular about 0.3 to about 7. The components A) and B) may consist of either one component or a mixture of components having any desired composition.
The quinacridone compound C) is present in the electroluminescent element, it being possible for it to be contained as a dopant in low concentration in any desired layer. It is also possible that it is contained simultaneously in several layers of the EL element, in each case in a different concentration.
Preferably, the dopant is added to the hole-transporting layer and/or light-emitting layer and/or electron-transporting layer, very particularly preferably to the light-emitting or light-transporting layer.
The concentration of C) in the respective guest matrix is, independently of one another, between about 0.01 and about 40% by weight, preferably between about 0.4 and about 10% by weight (based on 100% by weight of components A) and B)).
For the production of the layer, the components A), B), C) and optionally D) are dissolved in a suitable solvent and are applied to a suitable substrate by casting, knife-coating or spin-coating. Said substrate may be, for example, glass or a plastics material which is provided with a transparent electrode. For example, a film of polycarbonate, polyester, such as polyethylene terephthalate, polybutyl terphthalate, or polyethylene naphthalate, polysulphone or polyimide may be used as plastics material.
Suitable as transparent electrodes are
a) metal oxides, e.g. indium tin oxide (ITO), tin oxide (NESA), zinc oxide, doped tin oxide, doped zinc oxide, etc.,
b) semi-transparent metal films, e.g. Au, Pt, Ag, Cu, etc.,
c) conductive polymer films, such as polyanilines, polythiophenes, etc.
The metal oxide electrodes and the semitransparent metal film electrodes are applied in a thin layer by techniques such as vapour deposition, sputtering, platinization, etc. The conductive polymers films are applied from the solution by techniques such as spin coating, casting, knife coating, etc.
The thickness of the transparent electrode is 3 nm to about several xcexcm or preferably about 10 nm to about 500 nm.
The electroluminescent layer is applied as a thin film, directly to the transparent electrode or to an optionally present charge-transporting layer. The thickness of the film is about 10 to about 500 nm, preferably about 20 to about 400 nm, particularly preferably about 50 to about 250 nm.
A further charge-transporting layer may be added to the electroluminescent layer before a counter-electrode is applied.
A list of suitable charge-transporting intermediate layers which may comprise hole- and/or electron-conducting materials, which may be present in polymeric or low molecular weight form, optionally as a blend, is given in EP-A 532 798 which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,281,489 which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. Particularly suitable are specially substituted polythiophenes which have hole-transporting properties. They are described, for example, in EP-A 686 662 which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,515 which is incorporated by reference in its entirety for all useful purposes. The stated references are expressly incorporated by reference in the description.
The content of low molecular weight hole-conductor in a polymeric binder can be varied in the range from about 2 to about 97% by weight; the content is preferably about 5 to about 95% by weight, particularly preferably about 10 to about 90% by weight. The hole-injecting or hole-conducting zones can be deposited by various methods.
Film-forming hole conductors may also be used in pure form (100% strength). Optionally, the hole-injecting or hole-conducting zone may also contain proportions of an electroluminescent material.
Blends which consist exclusively of low molecular weight compounds can be applied by vapour deposition; soluble and film-forming blends which may (not necessarily) also contain a binder D) in addition to low molecular weight compounds and dopant can be deposited from a solution, for example by means of spin coating, casting or knife coating.
It is also possible to apply emitting and/or electron-conducting substances in a separate layer onto the hole-conducting layer with the component A. An emitting substance according to component C) can also be added as the dopant to the layer containing the compound A, and in addition an electron-conducting substance can be applied. The electroluminescent substance may also be added to the electron-injecting or electron-conducting layer.
The content of low molecular weight electron conductors in the polymeric binder can be varied in the range from about 2 to about 95% by weight; the content is preferably about 5 to about 90% by weight, particularly preferably about 10 to about 85% by weight. Film-forming electron conductors can also be used in pure form (100% strength).
The counter-electrode consists of a conductive substance which may be transparent. Suitable metals are preferably, for example, Al, Au, Ag, Mg, In, etc. or alloys and oxides thereof, which can be applied by techniques such as vapour deposition, sputtering or platinization.
The arrangement according to the invention is brought into contact with the two electrodes by two electric leads (e.g. metal wires).
On application of a DC voltage in the range from about 0.1 to about 100 volt, the arrangements emit light of a wavelength from about 200 to about 2000 nm. They exhibit photoluminescence in the range from about 200 to about 2000 nm.
The arrangements according to the invention are suitable for the production of units for illumination and for information display.